Youth Firesetter Intervention Program

Why YFS: YFS an intervention and educational program aimed at reducing the number of fires and burn injuries caused by youth experimenting with fire.

Program Description:YFS is an educational intervention workshop (approximately 4 hours) that targets at-risk youth who have expressed an interest in fire and/or have been involved in firesetting activities. The class is free of charge.  Rather than a punitive approach, areas of focus within this program include: Responsibility, Character Building, Decision Making, Self Esteem, and Fire Safety. A youth firesetter is a child under the age of 18, who accidentally or purposely starts a fire. Each year youth set fires cause hundreds of injuries and deaths and destroy millions of dollars worth of property. Since 1979, the Phoenix Fire Department's Youth Firesetter Intervention Program has been dedicated to assisting youth and their families with the issues related to fire curiosity, fire experimentation, and fire setting.

Participation Requirements: Attendees must arrive on time. Parent, guardian or other adult must attend with the child.

Optional Requirements: Parents may choose to use the YFS Community Service log to enforce the concept of consequences for actions. Participants who complete their community service and submit the log to the YFS Coordinator will receive a Certificate of Completion for attending the class.

The Phoenix Fire Department Youth Firesetter Intervention Program offers the community:

• Education Classes
• Parent Guide
• Age Appropriate Curriculums
• Other Agency Assistance
• Research

Children set fires for many reasons:

• Children want to see how matches or lighters work and how things burn.
• Children imitate their parents, family members, and important people in their lives.
• Some children and youth are pressured to set fires by their friends.
• Some children may be experiencing a recent crisis or trauma and use firesetting as a way to cope, as a cry for help, or out of anger.
• Some children use fire to add an element of risk or excitement to their activities.
• Some children use fire as a way to threaten and intimidate others.
• Some children use fire during other illegal activities as a way to cover up their crimes and destroy evidence.

Whatever the reason a child starts a fire, there is help through the Phoenix Fire Department's Youth Firesetter Intervention Program.